Diaz Proposes Putting Lawmakers’ Contributions On Their Websites

Sen. Ruben Diaz—the lone unscathed member of four “amigos” in the Senate—has introduced legislation that would require lawmakers and statewide elected officials to post on their government websites’ homepages direct links to their campaign finance reports.

The Bronx senator’s bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, would also require elected officials to post any contributions they receive over $250 on their homepage within 30 days of receipt.

If lawmakers fail to do so, it would be punishable as a class E felony. Diaz said he wants lawmakers to have to disclose their outside income too, which is part of negotiations on ethics reform.

“It’s all working toward transparency,” Diaz, a Democrat, said.

Diaz was one of the self-proclaimed “amigos”—the rogue Democratic foursome of New York City Sens. Carl Kruger, Pedro Espada, Hiram Monserrate and Diaz.

Kruger was charged this month in a $1 million bribery scheme; Espada lost his re-election bid and goes to trial later this year for bilking his Bronx health clinic out of public funds; and Monserrate was expelled last year after he was convicted for an assault on his girlfriend.